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Ranking Lovie's Salary Among the Top Coaches.....
Ranking Lovie's salary among coaches
May, 18, 2012 May 18
10:30
AM ET
By Kevin Seifert | ESPN.com
As we catch up on this week's news and events after some rare May travel, it's worth pointing out Forbes Magazine's annual rankings of the highest-paid coaches in professional sports.
The top 10 includes eight NFL coaches and two from the NBA. One NFC North name is on the list and I wonder if a second should be as well.
2012 Forbes Salary Estimates
| Coach | Team | Salary |
| Bill Belichick | Patriots | $7.5M |
| Pete Carroll | Seahawks | $7.0M |
| Jeff Fisher | Rams | $7.0M |
| Mike Shanahan | Redskins | $7.0M |
| Doc Rivers | Celtics | $7.0M |
| Lovie Smith | Bears | $6.0M |
| Gregg Popovich | Spurs | $6.0M |
| Ken Whisenhunt | Cardinals | $5.8M |
| Mike Tomlin | Steelers | $5.8M |
| Andy Reid | Eagles | $5.5M |
As we've said many times, coaching salaries are among the NFL's best-kept secrets. Forbes' estimates are based on media reports and its own investigating, but ultimately the only people who know the numbers usually are the coach, the coach's agent, the owner and whoever handles the team's payroll and finances. That's a relatively short list of people with firsthand knowledge.
With that said, Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith is the country's sixth-highest paid professional coach with a $6 million annual salary, according to Forbes. Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn't listed on a chart that bottoms out at an annual salary of $5.5 million per season.
But as we discussed last March, there were reliable reports that McCarthy's post Super Bowl contract extension totaled $32.25 million over five years. That's an average of $6.45 million, which would leave him trailing only four NFL coaches on this list. (The New Orleans Saints' Sean Payton isn't listed because he won't receive most of his $7 million salary due to a year-long suspension.)
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap.
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Originally Posted by
Zelezo Vlk
Pete Carroll? Really?
I was just thinking the same. ^^
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Originally Posted by
little bear
I was just thinking the same. ^^
lol, same here. He went from college coach at USC to Seahawks right? Kind of a hefty salary considering there are plenty of NFL coaches out there that has proved sooo much more. Mike Tomlin comes to mind right now, for example.
About Lovie's salary, it's hard to tell if it's too much or just about right. Because he has been in the league for a while and have yet to win a SB. But he has still put together a winning record almost every season plus NFC Championship once and NFC North title thrice.
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Two quick things I gather from this:
1. Pete Carroll and Ken Wisenhunt are probably the two most overpaid coaches on that list.
2. MLB coaches are getting ripped off. lol The players are the best paid athletes in sports, but not one MLB coach cracks the Top 10?
"Give 100%. 110% is impossible. Only idiots recommend that." - Ron Swanson
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Originally Posted by
Hugogo
lol, same here. He went from college coach at USC to Seahawks right? Kind of a hefty salary considering there are plenty of NFL coaches out there that has proved sooo much more. Mike Tomlin comes to mind right now, for example.
About Lovie's salary, it's hard to tell if it's too much or just about right. Because he has been in the league for a while and have yet to win a SB. But he has still put together a winning record almost every season plus NFC Championship once and NFC North title thrice.
Lovie is 71-57 in eight seasons with the Bears, with a .555 winning percentage. His winning percentage would be higher, but he finished 5-11 in his first season with the team (2004). I expected his winning percentage to skyrocket this year with all the talent surrounding him.
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Seems about right; outside Carroll(lets remember he got his deal last year so it's not suprising it'd be higher then people who's contracts were from a few years earlier) the others I don't have an issue with. If Bellie is a sub 8mil guy, no reason for Lovie to be making anywhere near him.
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Originally Posted by
Riczaj01
Seems about right; outside Carroll(lets remember he got his deal last year so it's not suprising it'd be higher then people who's contracts were from a few years earlier) the others I don't have an issue with. If Bellie is a sub 8mil guy, no reason for Lovie to be making anywhere near him.
I'm a little bit surprised that Tom Coughlin and Mike McCarthy aren't on that list of highest-paid coaches. They've become arguably the most successful coaches in the NFL over the past few seasons. Bill Belichick is no shock - he's going to go down as arguably the most successful head coach during the Super Bowl era.
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Originally Posted by
Dagan81
I'm a little bit surprised that Tom Coughlin and Mike McCarthy aren't on that list of highest-paid coaches. They've become arguably the most successful coaches in the NFL over the past few seasons. Bill Belichick is no shock - he's going to go down as arguably the most successful head coach during the Super Bowl era.
I think Coughlin is up for an extension. If so, I'm assuming he'll jump up near the top of the list.
"Give 100%. 110% is impossible. Only idiots recommend that." - Ron Swanson
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Originally Posted by
Dagan81
I'm a little bit surprised that Tom Coughlin and Mike McCarthy aren't on that list of highest-paid coaches. They've become arguably the most successful coaches in the NFL over the past few seasons. Bill Belichick is no shock - he's going to go down as arguably the most successful head coach during the Super Bowl era.

Originally Posted by
Papa Bear
I think Coughlin is up for an extension. If so, I'm assuming he'll jump up near the top of the list.
Yeah PB is right. Coughlin is getting an extension. They're negotiating that now. McCarthy's latest extension isn't being considered which I bet would push him above Lovie and I thought Lovie was only at $5.5 mil anyway so this chart may have some fatal flaws to it.
Pete Carroll is getting paid what he is because Seattle wanted him badly enough to pry him out of USC where he was probably one of the highest paid college coaches in the country. I don't know why they wanted him so badly. His NFL record is nothing to write home to momma about.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap.
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.